Kavita Lankesh | SabrangIndia

Gauri Lankesh to be Memorialised as a Reporter Killed on Duty: Bayeux-Calvados Awards

Wed, 05 Sep 2018 06:06:30 +0000

Come October 8, 2018 and the annual commemoration and awards for war correspondents, instituted since 1994, will begin this year showcasing and Exhibition on Afghan Lives. But this year it will be extra special because India’s feisty and courageous journalist, Gauri Lankesh will find honour and mention here.

Image: cjp.org.in

The Bayeux-Calvados Awards for war correspondents (Prix Bayeux-Calvados des correspondants de guerre) is an annual prize awarded since 1994, by the city of Bayeux and the General Council of Calvados. Its goal is to pay tribute to journalists who work in dangerous conditions to allow the public access to information about war.

Reporters Sans Frontiers (RSF), a partner to the award has informed Ms Kavitha Lankesh that her sister, Ms Gauri Lankesh will be honoured in a new stele that will be inaugurated in this year’s memorial commemorating reporters killed on duty. This stele covers part of last year, and Gauri Lankesh’s name will be on it. Ms Gauri Lankesh was brutally gunned down on the night of September 5, 2017.

There will be tributes paid to her and invitees will speak about her work. Ms Kavitha Lankesh has been invited to attend and pay her own personal tribute to Gauri.

The family of Ms Gauri Lankesh, while deeply grieving her loss, one year to the date of her brutal killing, is overwhelmed at this continued recognition of her contribution and her work.

About the Award

The award was launched as part of the fiftieth anniversary of the Normandy landings. It is awarded in Bayeux, one of the first French cities to be liberated in the Second World War, in a conference that includes a book fair, a media forum, discussion evenings, and youth-oriented events.

The award has had twelve categories since 1994: Daily news, Magazine, Photojournalism, Radio, Television, Large Format Television, Web journalism, Young reporter, Lower NormandySecondary School Students’ Prize, Ouest-France – Jean Marin Prize (Print journalism), Public Prize.

In 2012 it was Javier Espinosa, El Mundo who was recognised for Print journalism, the Photojournalism prize went to Aris Messinis, AFP, the Radio Prize to Jeremy Bowen, BBC News, the Television prize to Nic Robertson, CNN, the Large Format Television: Mathieu Mabin, France 24, the Web journalism prize to David Wood, Huffington Post, the Young reporter prize to Ed Ou, Getty Images, the Lower Normandy Secondary School Students’ Prize: Mathieu Mabin, France 24, the Ouest-France – Jean Marin Prize (print journalism) to Rémy Ourdan, Le Monde and the Public Prize: Manu Brabo, of AP.

The post Gauri Lankesh to be Memorialised as a Reporter Killed on Duty: Bayeux-Calvados Awards appeared first on SabrangIndia.

My Sister, My Soul Mate

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 10:14:18 +0000

Gauri Lankesh fearlessly spoke truth to power. She stood up against injustice and discrimination. She continued to strive for communal harmony until her dying breath. On the occasion of Gauri Lankesh’s birth anniversary, we are publishing a heartbreakingly beautiful tribute by her sister Kavita.

My Sister, My Soul Mate

A Poem for Gauri by KavitaLankesh

She raved, she ranted,
Many times she burst out….
Uppercaste this… Brahmincal that…
At the inhumanity of it all…
At the injustice of it all…

Wait a minute…
Is it the same woman?
Who spoke soft words, and tenderly hugged
And embraced
Little kids,
The untouchables,
The Muslims,
The women,
The minorities…
The Maoists..

Few Rabids barked she is a bitch,
some even called her prostitute,
just because she was single
and lived her life the way she wanted to…

But hundreds called her sister, thousands called her mother
a million now are saying
“We are all Gauri…”

She blasted when someone threw a
cigarette butt from the car window
Lest it would hurt a two wheeler rider…

Her house is a garden
Where many a snake wandered
And she would wait patiently
For it slither by,
Not stopping , not harming , not killing it
Waiting patiently for it pass and continue to live…
But finally a snake came which didn’t slither away,
A human snake
on a two wheeler
to stop the fire out of Gauri …
and silence her..

Silence Gauri?
Ha ha!! What a joke!!
She burst like sunflower seed
scattered all over
In India
And across the seas…
Now the silence is chanting ….echoing, ..
“ We are all Gauri!!”

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Remembering Gauri Lankesh’s Last 10 Seconds

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 08:16:33 +0000

Kavita Lankesh’s poem talks about how she finds it difficult to cope with Gauri’s death. On the occasion of Gauri Lankesh’s birthday we are publishing this touching tribute to the fearless tigress from her loving sister.

Image: Suhel Banerjee

The last 10 seconds

Sometimes I feel
You are here…
It’s just one of those hectic days
So you haven’t visited us.
But most times
Reality punches in my gut
And I know you are gone
Forever.
I churn,
I shiver,
I reel…
I feel like puking but my stomach is empty
Much like everything else
Agonized when awake,
Nightmares in sleep…
As I try to re-live
Your last 10 seconds
That’s all the time it took
To end your voice
The cops tell us
Let me imagine those 10 seconds-
The killer a coward no doubt
hiding behind a helmet
rushes towards you
“Yako? What are you doing magane?
The first shot!
You! Bolimagane! Who the fuck are you?
Not my comrade,
not my blood,
certainly not my creed!!
You think you got have become big
because your chaddi got longer
And now you wear pants?
Come, end me! Let’s see!!
How dare you!
I am never ending!!
Ten seconds. Three more bullets.
And you were gone.
Did Esha ,Amma or I
Flash through you?
The love, the care, the concern?
Did thoughts of your comrades
Flicker in you?
The same comrades who converted
you from a little chirping sparrow to
a roaring tigress?
Till the last bullet ripped
and stopped it all…?
You lay there
In a pool of blood.
But have you stopped?
A thousand others continue
Your fight
Here, there, everywhere…
Every drop of your blood
a protest!
With more fervour and vigour…
Confusing me further
If I voice for the voiceless
Like you
Am I you?
If I am silent…
Am I dead…?

– Kavita Lankesh

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A Poem celebrating the spirit of Gauri Lankesh

Mon, 29 Jan 2018 04:48:31 +0000

Gauri Lankesh, the fearless and formidable journalist who was shot dead outside her home in September 2017 was known for her never backing down. Which is why her friends, family and supporters refused to back down despite harassment from authorities, and demanded a thorough investigation into her death. “I am Gauri” became the new battle cry for those demanding Justice for Gauri. In this poem, her sister Kavita recalls how people came together after Gauri’s death to honour a journalist who always lived her life on her own terms and with her head held high. We are publishing this to commemorate Gauri’s Birth Anniversary today.

Cheers Gauri!

You must be so proud of me!!
Happy in heaven
or knowing you
you probably prefer hell
You brought me down to
the streets and that I was arrested!!
First time!!
Cheers!!

Finally maybe I am worth being called your sister!
It’s been three months
And our voices For the government has turned
Anti government…
Cheers!!
That’s what you and appa always stood for!
Anti government..

I finally know
How a mongrel feels
When stray dogs are abound
In the neighbourhood
Watching, biting and mating
They are caught and left in another locality
We were like that yesterday..
A harassment to the general public
And the government
They took us for a ride on a BTs bus
And left us in another area
Hoping we will stop
The battle.
They don’t know the war is still on..
Cheers!!

Your comrades shouted slogans and
Shook their fists
I simply looked at them
My eyes brimmed with tears,
My voice choked and I was mute ,
My hands lay limp by my side..
Impotent and dead..
But the voices of protest resonated
Again and again
Maybe I am still alive??
I have fought many a battle
But nothing that required e me to

Raise my voice ..
Or raise my fists
unless I wanted to slap a wandering hand..
But this was beyond all that
How can one stop the voice that’s echoing
‘We are gauri”
“I am Gauri”?
The shouts fill me-
Down ! Down! The Killers are free!!
The innocents are arrested!
My very being is filled
with a sense of pride !!

Countless times I had asked
Who will come to you if you are sick?
Who will come to you if you are broke?
Who will come when you …
Are dead and silent?
Such a fool I was
As if we were the only ones…
Cheers!

Seems like I am a non entity
Compared to your
dear and near ones…
who are holding you up
shouting and screaming
Just like you cannot be silenced
They cannot be too!!
I hope I cannot be silenced too!
Cheers!!

-KavitaLankesh

The post A Poem celebrating the spirit of Gauri Lankesh appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Tiffin Box: Kavita Lankesh’s poem about Gauri’s missed meals

Sat, 27 Jan 2018 12:54:21 +0000

Gauri Lankesh, the tough-as-nails journalist who was shot dead outside her home in September 2017 left behind many fond memories. In this poem, her sister Kavita remembers how Gauri rarely remembered to eat her tiffin on time as she was constantly immersed in work. We are publishing this to commemorate Gauri’s Birth Anniversary on January 29.

Image: economictimes.indiatimes.com

The Tiffin Box

Breaking news!!
What was in Gauri Lankesh’s car???
A Tiffin box!!
Her dinner may be for that day
Perhaps for the day after
Which I had packed for her
The left over curries
And amma had rolled umpteen chapathis
She would eat
What she felt like that day
Or didn’t..many a times
A bachelor at heart
That was who Gauri was
Immersed in her own journey,
Her ideologies, her activism
And caring for her many Comrades..
Perhaps more than us?
Late in the night mulling and spewing
Her thoughts on social media
She forgot ..to eat
She just left the food
On the kitchen counter
For roaches and ants to crawl …
She joked to her friends
That she had many a choice
Of curries and dishes
Sadly she hardly ate.
But when did eat, she ate heartily
Beef, mutton, chicken, fish , …
Or in her words “Anything that walks… or crawls.. !!”
My god how can you eat THAT?
What’s in my plate is none of your business
she said as she happily sucked on the bones!
I am a vegetarian, yet on Bakrid,
According to my sister and daughter
I made the most delicious
Mutton biryani!
We fought about million things
big and small,
sombre and silly
She with me
Me with her
When we were young and foolish
the fight lasted
A couple months,
Or maybe a few weeks.
As we grew older
The fight lasted
Just for the night…
The next day started as if we
Never argued, never hurled hurtful, vile words…
How wonderful it is to grow up!
Just a few months back,
she accused me of not paying a bill at office
And I blasted her to
Make it even for the free food I gave her…
Disgusting? Yes.
But the next day
As if nothing had happened
life continued..
Till I saw the Tiffin box lying
In the car…
Untouched ..
which made breaking news!!
How I wish I could fight with her
One last time for not eating!

-KavitaLankesh

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